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MODEL 1847 DRAGOON
BRIDLE BIT CURB STRAP – VERY RARE EARLY DRAGOON HORSE
EQUIPMENT:
As with any of the Model 1841-1856 Dragoon Saddle
Equipment, the discovery of this Model 1847 Bridle Bit
Curb Strap is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of
this early US Army Horse Equipment. Featuring a
“horseshoe” shaped brass buckle with an iron tongue,
this black leather strap measures 5/8” wide and 18”
long, matching the description for the curb strap in the
Report from the Board of Officers published in December
of 1847:
“Curb – Leather
strap, 5/8 of an inch wide, with brass buckles.”
The strap is full
length, showing the proper taper and all the adjustment
holes at the end, the standing loop is present and
intact and the leather is supple. The leather surface
is crazed, but stable.
It is worthy of note
that one of these M1847 Curb Straps was found in the Ft.
Sill, Oklahoma Museum collection, attached to a M1863
Artillery Curb Bit, and is pictured in Figure 3
on page 387 of The
American Military Saddle 1776-1945.
Not surprising that these utilitarian straps continued
in use, not only as curb straps for later issue bits,
but also to fill any other requirement, and thus they
were used up or became one of the small items that
disappeared into the refuse piles on the floors of
Bannerman’s castle, unrecognized and eventually
discarded. Again, this is a rare opportunity to acquire
one of those small pieces of Dragoon horse equipment
that would normally be impossible to find and the type
of accessory that sets a collection above the rest.
SOLD
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